I absolutely hated Cake Shop, which opened around this time back in 2005, the first few times I went. Not the idea of the place, which was fantastic: part coffee shop, part record store, part indie rock venue. More the practicality of the place. The inclined floor meant that you had to (and still do) have to be in the first few rows of people to see anything. I was used to the clear sightlines of Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom and Knitting Factory. What the hell was this?

But the place became hard to avoid if you went to a lot of shows. The people booking seemed to get really good shows, and some surprising ones. And they clearly loved '90s indie rock and Flying Nun. I think it was the in-store with The Bats back in March of 2006 that finally warmed my heart to Cake Shop. It was around this time as well that I learned that if you wormed you way to the front of the downstairs room, not only could you see, there is an intimacy and connection with the bands you don't get at many other "legit" venues. Some of my most memorable shows of the last few years have been there.

While the record store has given way to more couches, Cake Shop remains one of the places in the city to catch emerging talent -- and cool veteran artists almost no one else would book. As previously mentioned, the venue celebrates its 6th Anniversary on Saturday night (5/7) with six bands for six bucks. Headlining are The Beets whose new album, Stay Home, is another fine slab of protopunk folk rock, this time slightly less murky. The guys, who managed to get themselves featured on the Howard Stern Show recently, are heading on tour with Eternal Summers soon and all dates for that are below.

Also playing are New Zealand's Surf City, whose sound reverberates with their country's indie rock past. They are maybe the most Flying Nun sounding NZ band never to be on Flying Nun. The new album, Kudos, is worth checking out. (They're here recording another.) Then there's Conversion Party whose anthemic pop stylings should be more popular (seriously these guys are good). If you can't make it Saturday, they play Cake Shop's sister venue Bruar Falls tonight (5/6).

More bands playing: Holy Shit who is San Francisco artist Matt Fishbeck (and sometimes Ariel Pink). At their website you can listen to what is certainly the only electro cover ever on Felt's "Final Resting of the Ark." Still more: reclusive Faunelle (dreamy, gothy synths) and poet Ariana Reines.

Comments (33)

If you open a venue where only the first row or two of people can see the band, you're a fucking retard. Cakeshop is like the T5 of small venues. It's just a lousy experience for an audience. Nice people work there, and the Swell Maps song reference is great, but it makes no sense as a music venue.

if you close your eyes walking thru ludlow street, on the way to cake shop, and shut out the roofie carriers and frat fucks and high society 'slumming it', cake shop is a basically just a legit loft party space, with the same vibe and sightlines as one. but with better alcohol choices, way better sound, clean bathrooms etc. it's not a proper music venue like mercury lounge, but thats why we have mercury lounge. i manage to have an amazing time every time at cake shop, and its mostly due to the fact that andy, nick, alex and everyone who works there actually gives a rip about what gets put in there EVERY DAY etc. i can only imagine what the rent must be like. this place NEEDS to be supported. not many people realize its 7 nights a week and pretty much consistent every single night. what other nyc venue can claim that. happy birthday you guys. i'll be there saturday because i love surf city!

The Cake Shop is awesome, one of the few real sources of authentic music in Manhattan. I don't care for everything they do there, but they try hard, and thier coffee is good. If you need to have someone rub your fanny while you see a band, try City Winery.

who the fuck writes this shit? what, you never went to house shows and other shows at small ass places where there was no stage and everyone was on top of the band? that's kind of cakeshop's idea. buncha fucking posers coming in here talking about not being able to see the bands. get the fuck outta here. newjacks.